Even Pretorious at Somerset and Nathan Smith at Worcs, who both play almost every game!
Even Pretorious at Somerset and Nathan Smith at Worcs, who both play almost every game!
Read an article about the Worcestershire Nathan Smith pick up. Obviously not a household name, Alan Richardson along with other members of the Worcestershire coaching staff watched weeks of live stream action from NZ's domestic four day competition, really studying it and doing background checks on loads of different seamers before deciding on Smith. Really impressive stuff and he certainly does look a good pick up for Worcs. Fit, reliable and fast, bat's too.
Some of the criticism is over the top. We have three batters with 2024 cc averages of over 50 (Davis, Burgess and Yates), Barnard averaging 47 and Rhodes 41. Jacob Bethell is emerging as a strong all formats player - Dan Mousley has struggled in the championship but these things happen. And we have a decent crop of batsmen and a spin bowler at U19 level. It's disappointing that in the two games we lost we got into positions to win but I think Davis and Robinson are fine as a captain and coach combination.
Having said that I don't think it's a surprise that we've come up short on the pace bowling as we always looked thin . We haven't had a decent spinner since Jeetan Patel left - in recent seasons no spinner hasn't really mattered but with generally good batting pitches (too good in some cases) spin is more relevant this season. We don't produce good bowlers and don't seem to be prepared to recruit good championship bowlers or at least not enough of them. I also agree that the approach of bringing in emergency overseas players hasn't worked.
They've been very unlucky with injuries to Rushworth, Norwell, Hassan Ali and others. It's down to the bare bones with bowlers - the batsmen have set up a couple of winning positions but insufficient firepower with the bowlers is the main problem.
Reabank wrote:
Some of the criticism is over the top. We have three batters with 2024 cc averages of over 50 (Davis, Burgess and Yates), Barnard averaging 47 and Rhodes 41. Jacob Bethell is emerging as a strong all formats player - Dan Mousley has struggled in the championship but these things happen. And we have a decent crop of batsmen and a spin bowler at U19 level. It's disappointing that in the two games we lost we got into positions to win but I think Davis and Robinson are fine as a captain and coach combination.
Having said that I don't think it's a surprise that we've come up short on the pace bowling as we always looked thin . We haven't had a decent spinner since Jeetan Patel left - in recent seasons no spinner hasn't really mattered but with generally good batting pitches (too good in some cases) spin is more relevant this season. We don't produce good bowlers and don't seem to be prepared to recruit good championship bowlers or at least not enough of them. I also agree that the approach of bringing in emergency overseas players hasn't worked.
We should expect so much more of our county’s coach and captain than “fine”.
Winning is built on performances, performances are built on culture, work ethic, tactics and talent.
You can’t fault their work ethic.
But they’re short in talent compared to the best county sides, Davies & Yates averages have been heading downwards after those ludicrous kookaburra rounds.
The culture is appalling, playing favourites, rewarding failure, clear favouritism to 1 format. And the tactics are poor too, very evidently based on this year. Both in terms of on field decisions, field settings, and off field recruitment and squad management.
How many kookaburra rounds have we had thus far?
Three rounds with the alternative ball. We have had a poor opening partnership for the last two seasons, and nothing has been done to improve the situation.
Indeed the mediocrity was rewarded by a contract extention and been given the club captancy.
Those decisions have a massive demotivating effect on the rest of the team.
Both openers are currently averaging over 50 for the season.
As others have stated, the averages are inflated due to the alternative ball games.
I think the old phrase was "one Swallow does not make a summer".
Rewarding mediocrity and favouratism in the workplace has a demoralising effect on a workforce, in any work enviroment.
Which rounds were with the Kookaburra? Have Davie and Yates literally only made runs against the Kookaburra. They both made half centuries in the game v Somerset, was this against the Kooka?
Poor opening partnership for years? Davies struggled last season I'll give you that but Yates compared very favourably in comparison to other regular openers.
Andy wrote:
Which rounds were with the Kookaburra? Have Davie and Yates literally only made runs against the Kookaburra. They both made half centuries in the game v Somerset, was this against the Kooka?
Poor opening partnership for years? Davies struggled last season I'll give you that but Yates compared very favourably in comparison to other regular openers.
Kookaburra were the first two games only.
Opening partnerships so far this season:
37 (Kookaburra)
343 (Kookaburra)
116 and 56
10
59 and 18
21 and 3
38 and 15
48 and 29
19 and 106
So it's not at all accurate to say that it's a poor opening partnership. There's quite a few swallows in there...
I can't be bothered to calculate this for other teams as well but I'd bet that our opening partnership compares favourably with other teams.
As has been said already, the problem for us this season hasn't been the batting, it's been bowling teams out twice.